Pokemon: Watch your back
by TheItchyCocoon
Summary: When a determined young trainer enters the rough wilderness of the Battle Frontier's various regions, he learns that not being cautious, can have horrifying results. One shot.


Barren. That is the perfect word to describe the Desert Area of the battle frontier, the lone man thought..

The man glanced up into the midnight sky, the moon shining above and caressing the rough terrain in a low light, illuminating the desert into a dull blue. It would have been a sight to admire, had the constant annoyance of the sandstorm's, famous to this area weren't around the man thought bitterly.

While he was dressed for the weather, Brown knee-low duster jacket, protective eye wear, and some water, it didn't stop the strong winds from constantly buffeting him. He walked on, occasionally cursing at the weather.

He tread-ed through the rough patches of dirt and sand, wanting only to escape from this place and get back to his house. 'This was a stupid idea.' He thought to himself. 'I should have gone to the mountain area, or just fished in the water for another Pokemon. Why of all places did I have to come here?'

He retraced the memory of when he first arrived at the battle frontier, so ready to battle, so ready to win. He remembered the confidence coursing through him as he strode up to the reception desk at the battle palace, and demanded admission.

...And ten seconds later his voice ringing through the halls of the palace. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I DONT HAVE ENOUGH POKEMON?!" His face was tamato berry red, and if one looked closely, they could see all the veins in his head popping. 'It would have been funny', he thought to himself, 'if I hadn't caused such a scene.'

The receptionist gave him a calm look, "What I mean, Mr. Leo, is that participants require three pokemon to enter any of the facilities in the Battle Frontier. I'm afraid you only have two pokemon in your possession." Her easy answer and calm nature only irritated him more.

Storming out, he looked down at his belt and saw the only two pokemon in his possession. He gritted his teeth. But as he was fuming, he felt someone tap his shoulder.

He turned around and scowled at the man before him. He was a man with an arrogant smile on his face, unkempt black hair, and wore simple clothes. "Hey, couldn't help but "overhear" your problem in there. Name's Zack, and I was wondering if perhaps you wanted some help."

Leo gave the man a questioning look. "What kind of help?" Leo asked suspiciously.

Zack: "Well, you need a third pokemon to challenge the facilities around here, but the problem is, not many of the pokemon here are that tough. Even if you went out and caught one, say in the river or maybe in the mountain trail, they wouldn't even amount to the kid trainers around here. Now, just so lucky for you there is a place with really tough pokemon. The desert region.

Leo perked up at the news. Zack: The problem is, y'see, it's also the most dangerous place around here. Even Stark Mountain isn't as treacherous as this place. But luckily, i'd like to offer my services to you, and go catch you a pokemon from there. At a price of course," Zack finished with a grin.

* * *

After some rude words as well as a rude gesture to Zack, Leo was off to the Desert, to search for his next pokemon!

That had been hours ago. Leo still couldn't find many pokemon out here, and it was starting to frustrate him.

The most he had found was a geodude, and a hippopotas. Nothing he could really use. Leo trudged along, trying to look at his map for the way back to the resort area. "If I keep going south, then perhaps I'll be there in around ten mi-" Leo froze. He had stopped to gather his thoughts, but when he stopped, he heard several footsteps stop as well.

He glanced behind him, and saw the faint outline's of cactus. Leo stared at them, then let out a breath. This desert was playing tricks on him, making him hear things.

Leo started walking again, but stopped again as he heard more loud shuffling. He turned his head an saw the cactus's has gotten closer. Leo looked on in confusion. 'How could a cactus move?' he thought incredulously.

As he thought of the answer, he heard more shuffling behind him. He whirled around and saw more cactus behind him, very close now.

Leo cursed. How could he have been so stupid! He was being trailed by cacturne!

Leo grabbed for his first poke ball, while the cacturne started to advance forward. He opened the capsule, and in a flash of white light, a forretress appeared on the desert sand.

Several cacturne attacked the floating steel bug head n, but weren't able to do much damage to it's hard interior. "Forretress, rapid spin!" Leo commanded, and the pokemon obliged, rapidly spinning itself, and flinging cacturne everywhere.

Leo grinned triumphantly, but that grin disappeared as he saw the thrown cacturne's get up and rush at forretress again. Forretress was a strong pokemon, but all of the attacks it was taking were starting to show. Several scratches and dents were visible on the now barely levitating pokemon.

* * *

Leo thought furiously of a plan. Then it hit him. With hesitation in his voice, he commanded, "Forretress! Explosion!"

The blast was incredible. Leo himself was blown back as his pokemon gathered up it's remaining energy and unleashed it all in a fiery explosive blast. Leo got up shakily, but otherwise unharmed. He observed the now scorched desert. Several cacturne lied motionless on the sand, while some others were fleeing into the night. His own pokemon was lying on the ground, knocked out cold.

Leo started to make his way to his fallen pokemon, but ragged breathing made him stop. A large cacturne emerged from behind forretress. Leo tensed up. It looked completeley unharmed, and was much larger than the other cacturne had been. Leo: "You must be the leader..." The leader's only response was to flash a devilish grin at Leo, making his skin crawl.

Leo reached for his other pokemon, but before he could, the cacturne was upon him. With a heavy arm, it knocked him down into the ground, and pinned his arms. Leo struggled, but the cacturne was just too heavy to throw off. He saw his last pokemon's ball a few feet away from him. He couldn't reach it!

The leader smiled, and started to raise it's arm for the killing blow. Leo thought furiously, and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

It never came.

Leo waited for what felt like minutes for the cacturne to strike him, but it never came. He opened his eyes and saw the cacturne was gone, and a poke ball was rattling on his stomach. It stopped, with a small beep.

Leo stared at the capsule for a few minutes before picking it up. He examined it, and saw that the cacturne was inside!

Leo was dumbfounded to say the least. He tried to think of what happened. It hit him, the cacturne must have accidentally bumped one of the empty poke balls on his belt, and being caught completely unaware, was captured.

Leo stood up slowly, and continued to stare at the ball. Then a grin broke out on his face.

* * *

He now had three pokemon...

"Calling challenger number 23, Leo up!" the battle palace announcer said through the intercom.

Leo strode onto the battle field, ready for his seventh battle. The announcer nodded to Leo, then looked as Leo's final challenger came in. "Challenger Leo, versus challenger Zack, is set to begin!" The announcer said and waved a flag, signaling for the battle to start.

Zack gave Leo a glare. "Look's like you got in pretty far, too bad I'm sending you back to the bottom! Go, quagsire!" Zack said with a spiteful tone.

Leo simply smiled, and reached for Cacturne's ball...


End file.
